A Dangerous Combination
by XxUrBadLuckCharmxX
Summary: One-shot, Zutara. Zuko is a monster - but Katara is no angel. Darkness reigns supreme, and everything has changed. 2 people changed forever, meet in an explosion of power and passion.


Disclaimer: I don't own anything - so please don't sue me!

A/N: Darkness has cast a pall over all of the land of the Avatar World. Lord Zuko rules over everything with golden eyes filled with hatred and darkness, and a hand that crushed the land's spirit of "Good". All he has of his former self are memories of his past life - before being captured and tortured to death, finally snapping him to the brink of insanity. But when someone else, someone who has many memories of, rises from the wake of destruction he has left upon the land, things are about to happen.

A girl, in robes of red and gold, stared at the boy standing opposite her.

Dark brown hair pulled half up and half down, beaded with real gold. A very distracting fire-red and black half-shirt that showed midriff, with golden thread woven through, and red skirt with black leggings that matched the top. She was a vision, beautiful, stunning - one could even call her a goddess. Except for her eyes. Nothing wrong with them, really, a beautiful cerulean colour that shone with a fierce determination. And yet there was something off about them. Something wrong.

Black hair that fell into his eyes, highlighting the bright red scar on his face and framing his dark golden eyes - smoldering with a cold anger. A tiny gold chain hung around his neck, red and black ribbon twined in a small braid in his hair, and a black armband showed his status. Fire Lord. Earth Duke. Water Ruler. Air Monarch. All-powerful, reigning over all 4 nations. Shirtless and barefoot, showing off a black and gold tattoo on his chest, with baggy black pants with gold cuffs on his wrists. The scar, as prominent on his face as the ugly look as he stared at her.

Katara stared determinedly at Zuko.

"You will not hurt me."

Zuko glared at the petite girl standing before him. Stupid girl, who wouldn't just go away so he could have some peace.

Not that he would ever have another moment of peace again.

She was just a foolish girl who he would eliminate.

"Why do you say such lies."

Zuko scoffed at the girl, his superior tone never deserting him.

"You will not hurt me. Or have you forgotten so easily?"

Zuko stared at the girl. The memory of that rainy day threatened to overtake his mind, but he pushed it away.

"What are you talking about, you stupid girl. You know nothing of me."

"I know you better than you think, Fire Boy."

Zuko's glared hardened as she used the nickname.

"I'm not as I was. I will never be as I was. Not after the killing. Not after my father, burning him til he was nothing more than silvery ash on the wind, my sister, the same. Not after murdering countless Earth benders who stood in my way, doing alike to Fire benders and Water benders too. Your PEOPLE. The Air Nomads, the secret group of them I now have under my control. The Avatar, your last hope, is gone. Killed when in the Avatar state, so he may never reincarnate and this world will forever be thrown into chaos. Does that mean nothing to you?"

Katara only looked haughty, almost bored-like.

"And I will never be the same from murdering your brother as he tried to fight back. As he tried to protect his wife, his people, the Light Fighters, they called themselves. Sokka, was his name? Pathetic little weakling, was all he was."

Katara's expression never wavered. Zuko was uneasy under the expression she was giving him now, but he quashed those feelings, reminding himself how she was nothing but a mere bender, while he had risen so far beyond that. He was surprised, however, that she showed no emotion when he mentioned her brother.

"And yet you seem the same. Where is the mighty, merciless King Zuko, supreme ruler of all that I've heard so much about? The one who murdered my brother? My father? The one who kills people in cold blood, who plays with his prey as he would food, setting impossible tasks? Who is the powerful man who burns away everything in his path, leaving behind a empty and barren wasteland? Because all I see before me is a boy, like me, staring down a girl. And arguing pitifully over what he has done, boasting like a schoolboy."

Zuko's contemptuous look was wiped away, and in seconds his temper flared, a raging look of pure fury on his face, and before he knew it, he was striding toward Katara, intent on doing some damage to that pretty little face of hers. Katara only backflipped away from him, landing lightly.

"Why, Fire Boy can't take the heat?"

She mocked lightly, smirking. Zuko stalked toward her, barely containing his rage, and barely hanging onto the fire that was roaring inside of him, crackling and burning to be released. Zuko stood only a foot from her, glaring as she cocked her head, hands on her hips. An arrogant smirk was beginning to spread over her face, slowly.

"Why Zuko, I had no idea you could control your temper. Just for me? Oh, how sweet. You act so tough, Fire Boy, but I know that's just your exterior."

"You know nothing of me! NOTHING!"

"Fire Boy, that's no way to talk to me. You think you're the only one who's changed?"

The arrogant smirk was turning into something dark, something that spoke volumes of power, and experience, and hunger, centuries upon centuries old. Katara blinked, and her eyes had a smoky ring around them, flickering with their own silvery blue fire. Raising her hand, she moved her fingertips in one slow, fluid movement, and time stopped. Zuko could literally feel the air around him stop. Sound and movement and everything ceased, and all he could do was stare. Water and air danced together in a tiny ball hovering over her fingertips, and then it exploded in a rush of icy power that shock-waved across Zuko, setting time back into motion.

Zuko blinked at her. She could manipulate water and air. She could stop time. Who was this girl? She was not who she once was, that was for sure. Zuko thought she didn't know his secret. His precious, dirty little secret, the reason he was so sure of himself. He thought himself unique, and time had proven that he was powerful enough to overcame anything, anyone, even to rearrange space and the universe as he willed it. But he had never met anyone, other than the Avatar, to master more than one element. And now, besides himself, he knew one other. This girl, in front of him, he had apparently underestimated.

"You put on a good show, but remember.."

Zuko stared at her, having almost forgotten where he was.

Katara closed the distance between them, stretching on tiptoe to brush her lips against his ear as she whispered-

"I know you as well as you know me. Angel lips, or have you forgotten so fast?"

Katara slowly brushed her lips across his cheek, leaving a trail of tingling cold sparks behind her where their skin touched, until she reached his lips. Zuko closed his eyes as the sensation of her lips on his skin overwhelmed all thought as she paused, lips almost touching, so close, so close... He had never met anyone he wanted to kiss and kill equally. Until now.

"I certainly haven't"

Her lips almost, just barely, brushed against his as she said that, and he was so close, so close to leaning forward and catching her lips in his, so close to doing something, anything...

Katara slid back once again, as Zuko opened his eyes. Staring into Katara's bright blue eyes, eyes that held traces of darkness, he felt something arise in him. It grew hot, warming where his heart was, giving him a power he only got when he was staring into the eyes of a worthy adversary, or when he was about to charge into battle. It inflamed him with an anger, a passion, that made the fire in him burst, sending off sparks and raging white-hot in his chest.

Zuko slammed forward into Katara, pinning her to the dirt-packed training field that had been deserted ever since he had begun his reign over all 4 nations.

"You are wrong"

Zuko curled his hands around her slim shoulders, fingertips burning white-hot, but Katara only stared at him, her cerulean eyes burning with an equal fervor that matched his golden gaze. Frustrated, Zuko tightened his grip, sure he was bruising her shoulders - but Katara only stared at him, unflinchingly. Zuko released her, keeping her trapped to the ground by locking his knees around her hips. He leaned down further, gathering both hands in one above her head.

"Why did you come here?"

Zuko growled softly, face inches from hers.

"I wanted to see you. I've heard stories, you know. Besides, something seemed to tell me you wouldn't mind a little.. visit, from me."

Katara shifted suggestively underneath him, as Zuko watched her eyes. A flicker of something he couldn't identify flashed, and he breathed out slowly.

Maybe she missed him.

A slight smirk graced his features as he remembered the night in the treetops - how they had been, to say, occupied, and in their distraction they hadn't noticed - their bending had blasted out of them like an explosion, water and fire twining together. Much like they had been. Zuko smirked wider at this.

In his distraction, he probably should've been paying attention. Especially with an incredibly dangerous opponent directly underneath him - an opponent he was currently fantasizing about nonetheless.

Katara hit him with a combined air-water whip that slashed across his chest, opening a thin cut that beaded blood almost directly after the water left his skin. It stung like hell, leaving a curious burning but numbing sensation.

"Bitch!"

Zuko spat at her, already whipping up short bursts of fire, whipping them at her, using his feet to kick fireballs at her. Katara only whipped up air shields, and sent back ice daggers and water streams. Zuko sent a huge blast of white-hot flame straight at her, infusing it with streams of pure molten gold, almost like the way a dragon would roar flame from its maw. Whirling around and spin-kicking, Katara punched at the air and made a twisting stream of air and water shoot straight towards the column of flame and metal.

Earth and Fire met Air and Water.

Time seemed to slow.

Breath was held.

Katara and Zuko stared at each other.

Yin and Yang.

Push and Pull.

Then the world exploded.

Kisses & Cupcakes to anyone who reviews!


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